Page 133 of Peaks and Promises

Shouldering my purse, I went outside and hurried up the sidewalk. A distant peal of thunder rumbled, but I didn’t see any lightning. I wondered how long the storm would last.

Sheltered from the rain by an overhang, I made my deposit. The ATM spit out my card, and I slipped it back into my wallet and tucked it in my purse.

“Hey, Sum Sum.”

Alarm made my heart race and my stomach knot. I turned, and there he was, standing a few feet away in a light gray zip-up hoodie.

Axel’s lack of facial hair made him look younger—like when we’d met. There was something in his brown eyes that reminded me of the man who’d offered me a ride on his bike. Who’d made my teenage heart flutter with a tantalizing mix of attraction and a little bit of fear.

Standing face-to-face with him now, I didn’t feel any of that. Only anger.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, my tone sharp.

The corners of his mouth lifted, as if he found my question amusing. “You know why I’m here.”

“You can’t have him.”

“He’s my son.”

“No, he’s not. You got me pregnant. That doesn’t make you his father.”

“Actually, it does.” He took a step closer. “You know, if you’d have cooperated, it wouldn’t have come to this. We could have worked it out.”

“I’m not stupid, Axel. If I let you anywhere near him, I’d never see him again.”

“What makes you think you can keep him from me? Because I did time?”

“The fact that you’re a felon is the least of your faults.”

He grinned again. “You’re not wrong.”

“You’re wasting your time.” I glanced up and down the street, already suspecting there was no one around. “He’s not here.”

“I know. And I know you think I won’t find him. But I will.”

“No, you won’t.”

“You think that thug you’re with is going to stop me? Bitch, you have no idea who you’re dealing with.”

Rage seared through me. I wanted to rip out his throat. My fingers twitched, and I could feel the edges of my temper fraying, ready to snap like a worn rope.

Axel clicked his tongue three times as he lowered the zipper on his hoodie, revealing a gun tucked into his pants. “Don’t think about it, sweetheart. You’re not getting your claws on me.”

“You can threaten me with that thing all you want. I’m not telling you where he is.”

“Doesn’t matter, Sum Sum. I’m going to find him and take him. We’ll disappear, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Gritting my teeth, I glared daggers at him.

“He’s mine. My son. But don’t you worry. He’ll be fine. I’m going to get myself an old lady to take care of him. And I’ll be there to teach him everything he needs to know so when he’s old enough, he’ll be ready to join Mayhem. It’ll take a while to undo the damage you’ve done, but I’ll turn him into a real man.”

“Like hell you will.”

“I always liked your fire,” he said with another grin. “Too bad it didn’t work out.”

“If you were the last man on earth and the survival of the human race depended on us, the very first chance I got, I’d put a bullet in your head.”

“That should not be turning me on, but you’re still a hot-ass bitch.”